Haark
The shard of Haark is covered by a vast city that spans its landmass from edge to crumbling edge. Haark is the name we give to the shard and to the city, for they are one and the same. The intricacies and problems that are worked out in the very architecture of buildings and their relation to one another is captivating in its own right. It is also fair to say that a city is possessed of hidden sites and wonders that are not immediately apparent to the roving eye. And so the city of Haark is supreme among all cities — unquestionably in size, but perhaps also in the sheer volume of secrets and back-alley miracles. As Haark’s human population has grown through the eons, so has its need for housing and land in general. The solution, as has been the case in cities from time immemorial, was to build up. As raw materials began to grow scarce — stone, most notably — Haark’s unique decision was to also start building down. Digging down to quarry stone, the people of Haark brought ore and rock up to higher elevations and continued building. Viewed from above and from great distance— provided that the dense airborne smog is cooperating that day — Haark can be recognized as a single massive bowl, so deep and extensive has the digging been over the generations. Unfortunately, the cost of these ambitions has been ongoing problems for the current population of Haark, which struggles endlessly with buttressing, the costly importing of foreign building materials, and the inevitable erosion of the shard’s tortured ground. But for all its precarious footing, Haark is genuinely wondrous. The Banyari and their adaptations aside, there is no Folk as varied in appearance, culture, and disposition as the Haarkeen. But Haarkeen are not the only Folk living on Haark for Haark is the most cosmopolitan of the shards, with Aurumel, Pyroi, Banyari, Teryxians, and even a few Hamanu and Novapendra walking its streets. GOVERNMENT As a side effect of an ingrained bias against humanity and the cosmopolitan nature of Haark, the affairs of Haark are directed by the Council of Seven. A governing body formed of members elected autonomously by the powers-that-be of each of the seven shards. The laws of Haark are enforced by Haark’s City Watch, a legion of troops, whose ranks are filled with all manner of Folk. The City Watch has forts and bunkers throughout the city, those locations chosen for neighborhood distribution as well as more strategic hard points to defend the city against threats from within or without. URBAN LAYOUT The center of Haark is not so much a ring as an irregular and vaguely circular shape that fills an ever-growing commerce district in the city’s deep, man-made crater center, known as the City Center. Perhaps the best-known landmark of central Haark is the greatest of its commerce sites: the Great Market. The section of the city which encircles Haark’s center is known as the Ring of Silk, and it is the wealthiest area of the megalopolis. Here the rich and affluent live in the newest, sturdiest villas while enjoying a scenic view of the cityscape and skyline that is unparalleled. Beyond the Ring of Silk lies the Verdant Quarter, so called because a full third of the area is occupied by the Verdant Quarter. This place is the home away from home for most of Haark’s resident Banyari. Next is the Ring of Smoke, where shantytowns, ruin, and crime become more common. Though not truly the outer edge of the shard, or even close to it, the Ring of Smoke represents the outermost part of the city for many Folk Where Haark’s rim touches the wind and sky, there is a region that wraps entirely around the shard. This place, called simply the Edge, is a desolate, wind-blasted ghost town ruled by Haark's gangs. Folk only come here to hide or conduct the very worst sort of business. Travel through the Haarkeen streets can be more than problematic for visitors. To say they are labyrinthine is an understatement of poetic proportions, and to say they are inconsistent is to be the saintly heart of forgiveness. So it is that the Union of Porters and Drivers is flush with membership, and provides some of the best guides and travel assistance throughout Haark. The idiosyncrasies of sightseeing neighborhoods and dark alleys become less critical when a talented and enthusiastic guide is riding the strange beasts that bull carts and carriages through the curves and turns of the endless boulevards. Not surprisingly, the porters and drivers tend to charge higher rates farther away from the center. Although this logic seems backward, based on the decreasing levels of wealth, this allows the union to mitigate danger and avoid the worst perils of the Edge. Finally, a location not actually on the Shard, but literally hanging beneath is the Hanging Prison of Haark. The City Watch sends the major criminals it captures here to rot for eternity. And so it is that limitless Haark is both a place of wonder and dismal consequence. Whether it be curiosity, desperation, or mere commerce that brings you to the city’s countless streets and heaped square buildings — let it be said that only greater variety and delight awaits those willing to explore the hidden corners of the City Magnificent.